News & Events
Cereact trial stopped after showing no benefit to people with MND
06 November 2008
A clinical trial into a potential treatment into Motor Neurone Disease, involving people with MND in the UK, has been halted by a pharmaceutical company after failing to show that it is effective in treating the disease.
The disappointing news was announced today by Ono Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd, who had been conducting the phase II study across Europe into Cereact, also known as ONO-2506PO.
Dr Belinda Cupid, Research Manager for the MND Association, said: “It is very disappointing that this trial has failed to find a new effective treatment for MND.
“The point of clinical trials is that some potential treatments don’t always work in patients, even if they looked promising in laboratory tests. This means that by their nature, some clinical trials will lead to a negative outcome. It is good to keep in mind though that when that effective treatment is found, its positive effects will have been proved through clinical trials
“We know how important medical research is to people with MND, and clinical trials give them opportunity to be involved in research that may lead to a brighter future for all people with the disease.”
Cereact was tested for safety and effectiveness (efficacy) in 400 people with MND across Europe, and while it was shown to be safe, its effectiveness was not proved. The trial included people with MND at specialist Care Centres in Preston, Sheffield and King’s College, London. Our understanding is that those involved in the trial all know it has been stopped.
The drug, administered in capsule form, was believed to have a positive effect on specialised support cells, known as astrocytes, that play a role in the degeneration of motor neurones. An earlier 12-month clinical trial suggested that Cereact might only be beneficial in people with MND with a relatively recent disease onset. Thus the second clinical trial was conducted to examine these results further.
The disappointing news was announced today by Ono Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd, who had been conducting the phase II study across Europe into Cereact, also known as ONO-2506PO.
Dr Belinda Cupid, Research Manager for the MND Association, said: “It is very disappointing that this trial has failed to find a new effective treatment for MND.
“The point of clinical trials is that some potential treatments don’t always work in patients, even if they looked promising in laboratory tests. This means that by their nature, some clinical trials will lead to a negative outcome. It is good to keep in mind though that when that effective treatment is found, its positive effects will have been proved through clinical trials
“We know how important medical research is to people with MND, and clinical trials give them opportunity to be involved in research that may lead to a brighter future for all people with the disease.”
Cereact was tested for safety and effectiveness (efficacy) in 400 people with MND across Europe, and while it was shown to be safe, its effectiveness was not proved. The trial included people with MND at specialist Care Centres in Preston, Sheffield and King’s College, London. Our understanding is that those involved in the trial all know it has been stopped.
The drug, administered in capsule form, was believed to have a positive effect on specialised support cells, known as astrocytes, that play a role in the degeneration of motor neurones. An earlier 12-month clinical trial suggested that Cereact might only be beneficial in people with MND with a relatively recent disease onset. Thus the second clinical trial was conducted to examine these results further.
